Florida Has Confirmed A Case Of Zika Transmitted Through Sex

On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health confirmed the first case of sexually transmitted Zika in 2017.

According to the Department of Health's website, the case was confirmed in Pinellas County, and while the person who contracted Zika had not recently traveled anywhere, their partner had traveled to Cuba, and showed symptoms consistent with the virus. Both partners tested positive for Zika.

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The case, the health department says, is a reminder that Zika can be sexually transmitted — previous research suggested that the virus could reside in men's semen, pointing to how it may be spread. Zika can also be spread from infected mosquito bites, though the Florida health department emphasized that there is no evidence of Zika by mosquito in any area of the state.

For the most part, people have contracted the virus by traveling to affected areas, though there was a number of cases in which people acquired it from local mosquitos in Florida last year.

According to the CDC, most people who have Zika won't show symptoms, but those who do may experience fever, rash, headache, joint pain, conjunctivitis, and muscle pain. Once a person has been infected, the CDC says, they are likely to be protected from contracting it again. Symptoms are generally manageable, and the virus should clear out of your system in about a week, but Zika can be especially dangerous for pregnant women, and can cause birth defects such as microcephaly.

The Florida Department of Health is warning those who recently traveled overseas to a Zika-affected area to prevent mosquito bites for at least three weeks after they return home, and to use condoms to prevent sexually transmitted Zika.